A Woman Should Be Strong but
by Rondabunny
Summary: What if Sherlock was late and couldn't save Irene Adler from harm. How would he react and how would she handle the dark part of her real work? Damage, rape, violence
1. Chapter 1

**A Woman Should Be Strong but…**

**by Rondabunny**

He was at the place, at a small former factory which was now used by a radical Muslim group. He knew that she won't last long after the "Coventry". He didn't predict that she might go as far as Karachi to hide from her followers or killers as she used to call them. Sherlock was the person who destroyed her or maybe Moriarty's brilliant plan but he felt responsible for this female criminal or the Woman as he referred to her. She was smart and creative, sometimes fierce and he couldn't say that she was beautiful, no, maybe pretty but that word also didn't define her features. She knew how to present herself she had a style and for a period of time was a puzzle for him. Now the man was standing at the door of the hornet's nest. The guard at the door was already neutralized. Sherlock stepped inside.

Narrow corridor and a door, sudden punch and it flew open, one more hit and the guard is disarmed, another punch in the face disorients him and with the third he lies unconscious on the floor. In the tool shop everything was fast and precise. One dropped on the floor cut by a shuriken, another was suffocated by a string. Sherlock Holmes made sure that all criminals were left unconscious or wounded not really serious in order to recover after his sudden intrusion. Little by little the detective came closer to his goal. Behind that dirty, rusty door they hid a real target he searched for. The sound going from another room amused him. Were that smirks and male moans or the determination to get to the cell without any harm confused his mind. Sherlock opened the door. Two men were standing naked hooting at the scene that unfolded in their presence. The woman was sandwiched between two men on a trestle-bed. One was under her and the other sodomized her leaning his body weight on her and slapping her buttocks in the process. She couldn't move. Hands were tied with a rope behind her back. The man under was holding her body tightly to his chest moving inside her. Her face was buried in his shoulder. The woman seemed to be unconscious.

Even now Sherlock couldn't have been able to define the feeling he had at that very moment seeing Irene Adler was raped by two filthy men at the same time. The solution came so quick that nobody noticed in how many seconds all of the men in the cell were lying on the floor dead. Sherlock Holmes didn't see blood of two men splashing on the floor with their brain matter. The bullet pierced through buggers chin inside his grey matter and stuck into the ceiling. The man under tried to push female body away, though, his movements were too slow. The only thing Sherlock was pity about that his blood colored her bruised and tired face. Everyone was dead and he didn't give a damn about it. The reality narrowed to one important thing. There was nothing except her, the woman. When the rapist pushed her she hit the wall and groaned. That shocked the detective even more. All the while she was conscious, she felt everything. The man closed his eyes for the moment just to postpone for some time looking into her clear steel eyes. She wasn't crying he noticed. The gaze was rational, controlled and even daring. Only the body betrayed her. She was shivering.

"_Mr. Holmes,"_ she pronounced in a whisper recognizing him. Irene whispered not to make her pain and fear come undone. They weren't safe yet. She didn't have a luxury to act weak if she pronounced it with her voice the detective would understand it immediately. She had to be strong.

In silence, in one movement Sherlock took off the thawb and remained in trousers and a T-shirt. Extremely gently he cut the ropes and wrapped her fragile form in the thawb. Touching her surprised him. She was sticky of sweat, blood and sperm which covered her body.

"_I can go,"_ she stopped him when he made a gesture to take her in his arms.

The man shook his head: _"It will slow us down. Here, take this." _He put a loaded gun in her trembling hands and took her in his arms.

They reached the car leaving three men down behind. As gently as he could Sherlock put the woman at the back seat and closed the door. He felt blood that soaked the garment she was covered in. The brilliant plan went to hell. The detective couldn't bring her to the hotel in this condition it would definitely raise suspicion. He couldn't take her to hospital either because the staff would immediately tell the police and she would be executed even earlier her bruises would be healed. Holmes thought he calculated everything but nothing could go right with this woman. Anger seeped in his veins. He was cheesed off at himself for being so naïve, so damn stupid. His stream of consciousness was suddenly interrupted with undue familiarity.

"_Does this hearse have an aid kit? I need something to stop the bleeding until I'm still conscious. Do you know any 24-hour drug store? I tell you the names of the drugs I need. I'm sure you'll remember."_ He voice was clear and controlled. Not a slightly weak note in it.

"_Aid kit is in the back. You can reach it from your seat or I'll stop…" _He didn't finish the phrase.

"_No, drive. I can do it."_

She found the aid kit and fished out some painkillers.

"_Do you have some water?"_ She spoke in a hoarse voice.

He took a bottle from the front seat and gave it to her. She drank the pills and made some kind of a tampon from the bandage that was in the aid kit. Slowly she lay down on the back seat and looked in rear-view mirror.

"_Would you stare at me or at the road?" _

"_Suddenly extremely shy, Miss Adler?" _the man muttered but she heard him clearly.

"_I can make a show of it, you know just don't want to traumatize your innocent, virgin mind, though."_ She wanted to put as much venom and bravery in it as she could still the detective noticed notes of weakness and pain in her voice.

Sherlock didn't say anything just adjusted the mirror so that it didn't reflect the person at the back seat. Within an hour the car stopped and the men went to the drugstore. He has never thought that he would be buying sanitary towels, tampons or contraceptives together with disinfectants, surgical suture, anesthetic, bandages and a lot of drugs that were used in different medical field beginning with personal hygiene and ending with sophisticated surgery. He knew what the most of the drugs were for but some were puzzle even for him. The seller was greatly satisfied by this customer. At first he was telling that some medicine was prescription drugs but when he heard the rustle of pound banknotes the medicine was sold without any hesitation.

The woman was asleep when finally Sherlock brought her at a small apartment with a kitchen, a bedroom, a living room and a bathroom. Once he helped a shop-assistant who had to be executed for the fraud where his boss played the leading role. Now he went on a holiday and Mr. Holmes had two days to find them another shelter. To come to a five star hotel he had stopped was out of question. It was about 3 a.m. and a five storied building was sleeping soundly. Irene wanted to walk by herself. Their apartment was on the third floor but there was no elevator. She walked inside the building and then strong arms lifted her up and carried to the door.

"_I'm not an invalid,"_ she uttered when they were safe inside the apartment.

"_I can wring out this thawb and we both will see your blood, won't we,"_ he said in a deep voice.

"_I need a bath."_ Miss Adler took the plastic bag with drugs and closed the door.

"_If you need something I'm here." _He brought the armchair and put it so that it faced the door of the bathroom. Sherlock heard water pouring in the bath and sank into a deep thought. How couldn't he predict this to happen? How could he be so absent-minded? She had to be executed today at 5 a.m. when all of a sudden the criminal traded her to those radicals yesterday and everything went wrong. He didn't foresee it and acted too slow to get her without a scratch. The man blamed himself.

"_Mr. Holmes,"_ the detective heard a sound coming from the bathroom, _"Can you help me, please."_

He rushed to the room. Miss Adler was sitting in the bath embracing her knees that were pulled close to her chest. She bowed down her head. Sherlock noticed the color of water streaming down the outlet. It was red. The woman was slightly shivering of being naked in an empty bath.

"_Can you rub my back a little? My right hand is broken and maybe they damaged some ribs at the left side,"_ the woman pronounced in a small voice.

He took a shower puff, turned on the shower and started washing her back very carefully. The man clearly saw three gashes on her back obviously left by a whip. The woman hissed as the puff touched the wound.

"_I'm sorry."_ He said.

"_It's nothing. Just stinks."_ Though, she unconsciously made a movement to straighten her back to evade the contact.

"_No, I'm sorry I wasn't there in time."_

"_They would have sold me to a brothel in the morning. That was a test-check. So, you came in time." _She reassured him. Her trembling was more obvious now. She was shivering.

"_Can you wash my hair?" _Irene asked trying not to chatter.

"_Sure." _

Mr. Holmes poured some shampoo in his palm and began massaging her scalp. He washed away the foam with water.

"_I need to stitch the gashes on your back or there will be scars,"_ the detective uttered.

"_Thank you, maybe later. I have to take care about some other issues." _She pronounced still shivering but not looking at him.

"_I can help."_ He insisted.

"_Get out, Mr. Holmes!"_ That wasn't a request but a strict order. The man even saw glimpses of hatred in her cold, dead eyes.

"_As you wish, Miss Adler,"_ He retreated leaving her alone.

She walked out after half an hour wrapped in a towel. She was surprised when he offered her a cup of strong, hot tea. Sherlock noticed tiny points left by syringe on her right arm. She wasn't left handed maybe that's why it took her so long. Her right hand was red and swollen. He noticed a big bruise on her left shoulder. Her lips were swollen too and she had a black eye. Left side of her face was blue it meant that whoever hit her was right handed. She sat down in the armchair and he covered her in a plaid. The tea was too hot and she nearly whimpered when she spilt some tea on her hand because she couldn't stop shivering.

"_Maybe later," _the woman sounded almost defeated. She put the cup on the table and wrapped herself in the plaid.

"_Fever,"_ Sherlock stated taking his palm away from her forehead. _"Let me check your right hand."_

Very unwillingly she uncovered her hand. He palpated it and she hissed. The wrist was definitely broken maybe it caused some damage to the arm too. Holmes bandaged tightly her wrist.

"_Can you take it if I put some stiches on your back?"_ the man asked seriously.

"_Yeah, maybe it would be better to do in the bed. I want at least one part of me to be covered with a blanket. I'm cold." _Irene explained.

"_Lying or sitting?"_

"_I prefer sitting. Something's wrong with my ribs."_

"_Let me see."_

Very slowly she unwrapped the cover, the towel and he gasped. The woman had hematomas on both of the breasts. Her left side was badly bruised. The detective couldn't tell if anything was broken but it was definitely a harsh blow.

"_Fine, first of all gashes, then ribs. I have to make a tight bandage around your ribs and cover one gash in the process."_

She nodded. They went to the bed and she sat the same way she has been sitting in the bath. She was in medical underwear Sherlock bought for her in the drugstore. This Arab male was a bachelor. There weren't any female clothes in here. The man gently covered one half of her fragile body with a blanket and started his work.

_**To be continued…**_

_**Your feedback is welcome.**_


	2. Chapter 2

**A Woman Should Be Strong but…**

**Part 2**

**by Rondabunny**

She woke up in her cell again. She felt dizzy and everything floated before her eyes. They sedated her with something strong. Miss Adler was woken by a bearded man in camouflage with a submachine gun. Another one stood beside him.

"_Wake up, wake up, slut!"_ The man slapped her across the face. He spoke Arabian which Miss Adler understood perfectly well. She dealt with people of different nationalities and religious belief. She knew a handful of languages. It was a necessity. The woman was witty enough to learn and master languages.

"_You thought you could f…Mohamed Ashtur? You thought you can play with him? Now it's our turn to play with you. We play with you and then you die," _He laughed.

"_Jamal, we must leave her to pray. She'll be executed afterwards."_

"_I know that Ashtur sold her to our boss to be executed but he wants to put her in his brothel. She's pretty. She'll have many clients. I want to assess what she's worth, don't you?" _He mounted above her.

Dizzy or not she pushed him, knocked down the other one and ran through the door just to see more men there. The woman failed. The man, whom she pushed, wiped away blood from his lip. He was angry. The execution began…

Irene woke up panting. The nightmare was so vivid like she was there again. She got up too quickly and suddenly pain in her whole body reminded where she was. The woman was relieved to see nobody in the room. Very slowly inch by inch she took up her sore body from the bed. One of her eye didn't want to open properly and the world around her swirled. The feeling of being underwater was overwhelming but she didn't want to call for him.

"_You can do it. You were in much more worse condition. Just stand up. Please, you can. You must stand up,"_ Irene persuaded herself to move.

The woman stood up, swayed but didn't fall down. That was a good sign, she thought to herself. One step, two, three. Little by little she reached the bathroom. The brilliant detective was nowhere to be seen, and the former dominatrix was thankful for that. Delightful to reach the bathroom her look trailed to the mirror on the wall.

"_I can shoot in horror films without grease-paint." _The idea trailed her mind.

The reflection was disgusting. Left eye swell up and had a strange red-purple color. The lid was too big and heavy to open it properly. She lost blood and looked paler than a ghost. The left side of her face was also black and blue. Cracked dry and swollen lips, hair in complete disorder. The idea of a horror film pleased her more and more. Irene found it amusing. It began with a little chuckle, then giggle, then she started laughing hysterically each traction causing her pain. She couldn't stop. The idea seemed hysterically funny. The woman laughed until her lips cracked and blood ran down her chin. Her cool side returned immediately. Coldly, she opened the tap, washed her face with one hand as another was bandaged and still hurt. She threw the brush that was in a plastic glass and poured some tap-water in it. She drank one glass and another feeling bloody taste of water. Sherlock wasn't home. Now the deduction was clear. He would have run into the bathroom already when he heard that hysterical laughter. Maybe he left her for good. The man played his part, won the game and disappeared as he usually did. Why did he come for her? The thought was interrupted by pain. She gasped and leaned on the wall. Drugs weren't here only sanitary pads. Irene decided that to go back to the room to search for medicine was a too long journey. Better to remain here and wash. She needed to change.

The minute she left the bathroom Sherlock Holmes came from the kitchen with a tray with tea, porridge and toasts. Her hand instinctively grabbed the door-knob for balance but when she saw him she straightened her back, closed the door and walked to an arm-chair as straight as possible because the world was shaking and floating before her eyes. It was like going on the deck of a ship in a stormy weather.

"_Tea, muesli, toasts with butter and jam,"_ the detective announced.

She sat in the armchair clenching her teeth in the process.

"_Can you give me the painkillers?"_ Miss Adler asked.

Sherlock was up all night. Her fuzzy gaze found traces of sleepless night in his eyes everything else was in position. The man wore dark grey suit, white shirt and dark shoes. He was freshly shaven. She made the conclusion that he went back to the hotel where he stopped until the whole plan fell down as a house of cards.

"_No, until you eat something,"_ He said giving her a cut of tea.

"_I'm not hungry."_ Now in this little phrase the woman felt irony, her lips twitched a little.

He looked at her strictly and deathly serious.

"_It doesn't matter right now. You get the painkillers after you eat. You drank too many pills yesterday. Drugs can cause problems to your stomach, liver, kidney. First, you eat, then, you drink the medicine." _He took a toast and took a bite of it.

His gaze trailed down her form. The right hand was swollen and slightly red, the way she grabbed the doorknob even for a second gave way her weakness, trembling left hand prevented her from drinking tea. When he gave her the cup she immediately put it on the arm of the armchair. The detective finished the toast, went to the kitchen and returned with a chair. He placed it beside her and took a bowl with muesli.

"_Are you going to feed me?"_ Irene looked at the spoonful of muesli in his hands in disgust. _"I can do it myself."_

She grabbed a toast without anything from the coffee table and nibbled at it.

"_Fine."_ The man put down the bowl with porridge and put a long straw in her cup of tea. _"It'll help you to drink."_ He sat back in the armchair opposite the woman.

"_What's that?"_ She pointed at some strange garments hanging from the chair in the corner.

"_We're leaving today."_

"_Where?"_

"_It's a private hospital. It'll be safe there for a while. Besides, the owner of this shelter comes back after lunch. We need to leave." _The man explained.

"_Everything is clear but we'll eliminate hospital from that brilliant plan of yours, Mr. Holmes" _She tried hard to make the remark playfully but her voice was hoarse and feeble. Irene sounded more tired and broken than joyful.

"_Miss Adler, I won't bother you with my deduction discoveries because I'm pretty sure you understand better in what condition you are right now. By constant shivering of your hands and sparkles in your eyes I can make a conclusion that fever hasn't gone yet and you can barely walk from the bathroom to this armchair. The only thing I can propose is to help you put on that burka I brought for you to cover your not so beautiful eyes at the moment and convey you to the hospital there you'll be given a thorough examination. I really don't care what the reason is and why the idea of going to the hospital makes you shudder. You'll go there willingly or by force." _

His tone was very deep and calm. Sherlock spoke in his usual 100 words per second. His expression didn't give way a storm of emotions he maybe was feeling now. The woman sighed. That was check and mate. She couldn't put up a resistance. The pain was too vivid, it ate her inside out. Her body gave up. Irene suffered silently. She didn't pronounce a word when he helped her get dressed, took in his arms and brought to the car. A slot for eyes in the burka was made of a special net that covered them like a veil. Nobody could see how damaged she was.

"_Do you have a plastic bag?"_ He heard a constrained voice from the backseat. The woman tore off the burka from her head, took the bag the detective gave and her breakfast found itself in the bag. Tea with chewed pieces of toast danced together in a small space inside a white plastic bag.

"_Thank you."_ She said trying not to spill the contents of a precious container gripping it with her healthy hand.

"_You've got a concussion." _The man concluded.

Sherlock Holmes has been studying people in the hospital for three hours while Miss Adler was examined, scanned and X-rayed.

"_Your wife is a very strong woman, Mr. Salehi. Whoever did this to her were animals. I hope they'll face Allah soon." _A female doctor gynecologist approached Sherlock.

"_They already are. Have you given her a sleeping pill as I asked?"_

"_Yes, Mr. Salehi." _

"_Can I see the results?"_

The woman gave him a file with examination report and X-ray pictures of ribs and arm, some other pictures or cuts, bruises, damaged organs. Three ribs were broken. It was a miracle they didn't damage any of her internal organs. She had a Galazzi's fracture of her right arm, a micro crack of the skull that caused concussion, a third degree perineal tear, gynecologic hemorrhage, shock kidney, etc. Looking through the whole history Sherlock Holmes again and again revised the image of two men with the woman in that damn cell and two others who goaded them. In his mind he killed them multiple times, not just killed but tortured. Now it didn't matter. He made a mistake, he was late, he couldn't prevent it. The man wasn't sure why this thought still haunted him. Sherlock shook his head, gave doctor the file back.

"_Tie her up to the bed. I know she will want to run away. I'll come in the evening. Don't let her go until I come. She might lie to you about anything only to get out of here. Don't trust her. She may harm herself." _He went away and was gulped by the crowd outside the building.

Miss Adler was again in a grip of her continuing, vicious nightmare. She woke up in panic, jerked to get up from the bed but couldn't and it frightened her even more. Irene convulsed for a minute trying to get rid of whatever that held her until she realized that it was a hospital ward and her arms and body was fastened by the belts to the bed. Nice, even now the brilliant detective outsmarted her. Irene called the nurse but the woman spoke only Pashto and it took time for her to understand and call for the doctor. The female doctor who examined her spoke English as it was one of the official languages in Pakistan but whatever reason Irene gave her to discharge her from hospital the doctor rejected. The sun was setting down when Mr. Holmes entered the room.

"_Went on a hunger strike? That's not wise but we need to go." _He unfastened the belts. The woman got up very slowly helping herself with the left hand because her right arm was in plaster from shoulder till fingertips. A special medicinal corset eased the pain from broken ribs as well as anaesthetic. She didn't say a word when he stripped her down and dressed in traditional clothes he took with. The man escorted her in a wheel chair, helped her to get inside the car and closed the door.

"_Where are we going?" _

"_To the seaside if you're not against, Miss Adler."_

"_Are they following us?" _She had to be sure.

"_I caused them a lot of trouble today and yesterday. They'll be occupied for some time." _He assured her.

_**To be continued…**_

_**I'm looking forward to your feedback.**_


	3. Chapter 3

**A Woman Must Be Strong but…**

**by Rondabunny**

**Part 3**

She was running from them, running and running downstairs through narrow, dark corridors. She put all her strength in that long-lasting marathon. There were too many of them. Too many bearded man with severe expression on their faces. They hated her and adored her. They wanted her. She ran through the door and suddenly two strong hands grabbed her and squeezed her tight. She tried to free herself but in vain.

"_Ms. Adler, wake up. Ms. Adler, it's me, Sherlock Holmes." _The detective held her shoulders tightly and shook her to make the woman come to reality.

"_Please, let me go. I'm fine, Mr. Holmes,"_ she asked him out of breath.

The sun was already shining outside. She was asleep in the car when they arrived. When Sherlock wanted to take her gently in his arms and take to a solitary house he rented on the seaside she immediately jerked from his touch and woke up. She lay awake all night while the man in the next room was sleeping soundly after 40 restless hours. Irene fell asleep in early morning. Now she was sweating. Somehow still disoriented she found strength to refuse his help and stand up from the bed. The woman made a step, swayed and immediately was supported by strong hands.

"_What time is it?"_ she asked him.

"_Are you in a hurry somewhere, Ms. Adler?" _

"_Yeah, I'm going to the bathroom. So, what time is it?" _Irene insisted.

"_11:13 a.m."_

"_Oh." _She exclaimed as if it was very important at the moment.

"_What does this 'oh' mean?"_

"_Why are you still here, Mr. Holmes?" _She hissed as she made an awkward movement and her ribs screamed with pain.

"_Where should I be?"_

"_On your way to London,"_ she replied as a matter of fact.

"_If you knew me better, Ms. Adler, you would understand that I'm a gentleman who would never leave a damsel in distress,"_ He was still supporting her on their way to the bathroom.

"_I'll paraphrase it, you're curious that's why you're here."_

"_And you are failing to play your role as a dominatrix. Maybe it's time to give up?" _He asked as she hissed one more time.

"_In that case, it will be no fun." _She responded and put her healthy hand on a doorknob to the bathroom. _"Thank you, Mr. Holmes. From now on I can take care of myself." _The woman opened the door.

"_Your mind is playing tricks on you. Nightmares started the day I rescued you or even earlier when they finally kidnapped you. After I read your history in the hospital yesterday I'm wondering how you're still walking." _Sherlock blocked the door with his foot to prevent it from closing.

"_Do you want to carry out an experiment of how much a woman can take? Go to hell with your curiosity, Mr. Holmes."_ Irene pushed him with her left hand and closed the door. The man yielded because she put all her strength in that push but it was very weak and uncertain.

"_I bought you more comfortable clothes. Call me, when you need me." _Sherlock spoke and returned to the room.

The woman leaned on the wall and closed her eyes. Pain was eating her inside out. She wanted to stay still as long as possible if she knew that it would help. Irene wanted to scream because of pain, weakness, despair and vulnerability.

"_Breathe, Irene, breathe,"_ Ms. Adler lulled herself. She had to be strong. Otherwise, she would be buried under her own walls. She'll go insane, become just an ordinary woman, that could be smashed away like a bug. It wasn't her, she couldn't give up. It would be like signing her death sentence. She found all the necessary drugs in the bathroom except the most needed ones.

"_Where are the painkillers?"_ Irene walked from the bathroom trying hard not to cry out at every step she made as her ribs, kidneys and all her body was in an unbearable pain.

Sherlock gave her a small plastic cup with drugs and some water.

"_Eat something or you lose consciousness of hunger."_

Ms. Adler looked at the plate with two eggs, fried bacon, grilled tomatoes, toasts and mushrooms with disgust. There was also a bowl with porridge and hot mint tea without sugar. It was surprising but everything looked nice except the thing that she didn't want any of the food presented on the tray. She pushed away the plate and pulled the bowl. Her hand was shaking but she managed to bring a full spoon to her mouth. Very slowly and without any enthusiasm she ate the porridge and drank tea. The detective brought a plate with fruits and insisted for her to eat some.

"_I need to take care of stitches on your back and I've bought some clothes that maybe will be more comfortable,"_ he said in his deep voice.

She let him undress her. He took off her medical corset, made sure that stiches weren't infected. Again this time more carefully the man examined her bruises, scratches and haematoma which turned their color to dark red or bluish grey turning into violet in some places.

"_Now there is no much to stare at, Mr. Holmes,"_ She looked at him with her black eyes one of which didn't want to open wide yet.

"_Why? In ugliness you may find its beauty. Some people are attracted to it." _

"_Not you, Mr. Holmes. I can see only curiosity, confusion and what is that, anger?" _The woman stared in his eyes not breaking the contact.

"_In this you'll be more comfortable,"_ He stood up suddenly and abruptly and brought silk pajamas. It softly touched her skin when Sherlock put it on. The fabric was fine and streaming. It delicately covered her worn out body and provided the cool of the evening even though it was midday outside and the sun was beating down. The man gently covered her with a sheet when Irene lay down in the bed.

"_What now?"_ She asked him.

"_You may watch a TV. There are more than 450 channels as the owner assured me." _Holmes gave her a remote control.

"_Do you have a laptop?" _

"_Whom are you going to write, Ms. Adler?"_

"_Nobody."_

"_Then you don't need neither phone nor computer," _Sherlock said strictly.

"_One terrorist group and one radical group are after me. I want to know what's happening!" _the woman retorted.

"_You've already contributed a lot and where it has led you to?"_

"_Yes, I made a mistake but I can help!" _

"_In 45 minutes you'll be sleeping as a baby. It's not your business now, Ms. Adler. Yesterday I did one thing. I hope it would keep them busy for two weeks until you heal at least partially."_ He sat in an arm chair beside her bed and took a tablet in his hands.

"_You gave me sedatives."_

"_You've got a concussion and many other damages. People heal better in sleep."_

She rested on pillows for a while thinking about what she might say. She lost the battle. Her life depended on this arrogant man. This idea didn't make her happy. At least it was Holmes Junior, otherwise, she would be dead or maybe concluding a deadly bargain.

"_How did you find me?"_ The woman pronounced.

Sherlock was too involved in whatever he was searching in the internet so that she had to repeat the question twice.

"_I stole the data from your camera phone. I was surprised that so many people wanted your head on a silver plate. It took me a month to understand which way to go." _He confessed.

"_I'm not that desperate then. How did you figure out? _

"_Moriarty, I forgot about him when I saw the number of your contacts. First, I concentrated on my brother and the secret service. There were too many high level officials in the list. I was impressed."_ The man admitted.

"_Thanks,"_ she spoke with a sad smile.

"_I remembered the pool where I and Dr. Watson were trapped and in the conversation on his phone Moriarty told that he would skin someone."_ Sherlock reminded her about the conversation.

Moriarty kept his word. She was skinned mentally, physically and emotionally. Even if she tried to be strong inside the woman was shivering of a thought to face that man maybe more than to face Mycroft Holmes.

Three days went unnoticed almost in silence. The detective brought her food, drugs and took care of her necessities. She ate scarcely and he didn't insist. The curtains in the room were closed all the time. The woman didn't watch the news and didn't ask for anything. She slept a lot not knowing if it were the drug's effect or the pain that she suffered from trying to get rid of it by sleeping it over. Day after day nightmares became worse and worse. This night Irene couldn't cope with them. She woke up in cold sweat with a vivid idea before her eyes of Moriarty suffocating her while sodomizing her. It was impossible to hold inside emotional and physical pain any more. She has been crying for hours holding the pillow tight to muffle the sobs coming from her mouth. The man knew. The door to her room was left open for him to hear if she needed something. Not a muscle moved in his body when he heard her soft sobs. Sherlock sat there in the darkness listening to the sounds coming from another room.

The next morning started unexpectedly. Sherlock Holmes strode into the room and opened the curtains. The man pulled at her with undue familiarity until she woke up. Screwing up her eyes the woman looked up at him ready to jump out of the bed and run if it was the reason of such treatment.

"_What? Are they here? Where are we going?"_ Ms. Adler shot question after question agitated and still confused from her dream.

"_Shhh, come on, don't spoil the moment. Today we are having breakfast outside. The sun will rise in ten minutes." _In one motion he uncovered her and took in is arms. She was so confused and startled that the only thing she could do was to put her healthy arm around his neck. In a few seconds it struck her that something was wrong. She had to put up a fight, to hit him, to make him let her go but her body froze of the swiftness he carried her outside towards the sun.

"_Please, stop, I don't…"_ Ms. Adler pleaded.

"_I don't care."_ He finished the phrase for her. _"You're safe. There's nobody but us here."_

Gently he put the woman down in a comfortable beehive arm chair, covered her form with light blanket and poured a cup of tea. The sea was calm and gorgeous. The sun rise lightened the water with glittering pink and orange colors. The sun appeared on the horizon and slowly began its course towards the unlimited layers of air that represented the sky itself. Ms. Adler and Mr. Holmes sipped their tea in silence admiring the nature revealing its miracles in front of these two lost souls. The detective didn't just admire the beauty of the nature but from the corner of his eye he managed to watch the woman. Firstly worried and agitated, her features became more and more relaxed. She took a cup of tea and made a long gulp maybe even enjoying it. A light breeze played with her unruly wavy hair but she didn't mind.

"_What is it for, Mr. Holmes?"_ Ms. Adler broke the silence.

"_Let's talk."_

"_About?"_

"_What happened to you," _he stated.

"_I don't want to,"_ She said softly hiding deeper into a shell she has built while being here with him.

"_I do, you were crying all night." _

"_People cry sometimes, Mr. Holmes, especially women." _Irene put the cup on the table and hid her hand under the blanket.

"_Not like that."_ He disagreed.

"_Are you an expert, Mr. Holmes?" _

"_How did you start misbehaving?" _The man continued the interrogation.

_**To be continued…**_

_**Ladies and gentlemen, I'm looking forward to your reviews.**_


End file.
